Aiello "Tour of Grandparents 2009" Completed.

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay. Not sure where the time went - but as of today (July 24) the girls and I are back in Okinawa and our little family was reunited on the 22nd at the Naha airport where Brad picked us up. (1 day before our 1 year anniversary in Okinawa!) The jet lag is still looming over our heads, but a couple of more days and I am sure we will be back to normal.

Before I get back to the Colorado trip (and then the rest of our trip in the States). I wanted to make sure and comment on the amazing trip we had all around. The love and support that we felt firsthand from our family and friends was truly astounding. As every trip goes, there was not enough time to connect with everyone that we wanted to, however, we are thankful we did get to see so many people. The highlight for the girls was definitely seeing ALL of their 7 grandparents and getting to catch up with each and every one of their cousins. They are all growing so fast.

SO - THANK YOU. Thank you to all of you who housed us, fed us, drove us, spent time with us, called us, played with us, loved us or just were with us. Thank you for being supportive in so many ways of Brad's deployment and our being so far from home. It does not go unnoticed.

I miss you all already. There isn't much more to say than that. One of the greatest things about the military lifestyle is that we have learned to adapt and make home wherever we are. We have met amazing friends and lived in wonderful places. However, being with those who know you best (or who at least know your history best) gives you some comfort that is unlike anything else. My favorite times (aside from watching my children be loved by so many people) were those where I got to know you better - where you are now. We all continuously evolve and change and to be able to have the opportunity to see that firsthand is awe inspiring.

Thank you. Thank you for sharing yourselves with us and being you. We love you.